Method of making thin walled metal articles



' Dec. 27, 19329 STQCKFLETH 1,892,173

. 5Z0 W%Z METHOD OF MAKING THIN WALLED METAL ARTICLES Filed Feb. 11,1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 27, 1932. Q STQCKFLETH 1,892,173

HIN W TIC Patented Dec. 27, 193.2

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BERGER STOCKFLETH, OF NILE S, MICHIGAN,ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

THE CLEVELAND GRAPHITE BRONZE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPO-RATION' or onto METHOD OF MAKING THIN WALLED METAL ARTICLES Applicationfiled February 11, 1929. Serial No. 339,170.

This invention relates to improvements in renewable bearing sleeves andtheir manu-' facture and especially to such bearings as have backings ofrelatively hard metal and linings of relatively softer bearing metal.

In my earlier co-pending applicat on, filed August 20., 1928, Serial No;300,757, which matured into Patent No. 1,803,513, issued May 5, 1931.,1have shown a bearing of the kind mentioned, having a formed-up sheetsteel back and a Babbitt metal lining, and said co-pending applicationshows a novel method of making such a hearing.

I have found that the formed-up sheet steel blanks for the backs aremore or less wavy,

that is, they are not exactly true. This results'from the process ofmanufacture with the usual or ordinary forming-up dies and presses. Onthe other hand, the sleeves when finished must be exactly true withincertain very small tolerances, and by means of my present invention I amenabled to produce the sleeves to dimensions and form as close to thedesired dimens ons as is called for under the more recent requirementsof rapid production manufacturing developments.

Another important feature of this present invention is that it resultsin a'better adherence of the-Babbitt metal lining to the backing,particularly adjacent to the longitudinal edges of the bearing shell.This is accomplished by allowing the backing to be elongatedcircumferentially with the Babbitt metal lining in the pressure formingstep instead of hindering su'chelongation of the backing as heretofore.In this present invention, I permit both the Babbitt metal lining andthe backing to be extruded from the dies, under the heavy formingpressure,

along the longitudinal edges of the shell and thus do not disrupt thebond between these two layers.

' Furthermore, as the backing is allowed to elongate circumferentally,the waves or' than formerly, to make them more accurate sleeves rapidlyand accurately and in large quantities, the backs or shells are formedup out of sheet metal and the end flanges thus formed are quiteirregular in shape, it be ng necessary that the metal be upset orstretched in' order to produce these end flanges.

By means of this present invention, these end flanges, as well as thebody or cylindrical part of the shell, are ironed out smooth, theresultant bearing sleeve having accurately dimensioned and smooth endflanges. This is accomplished by allow ng the. end flanges as well asthe body portion to be elongated circumferentially under the tremendouspressures used and held against enlargement in other directions, at somepoints being thinned as to thickness.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying draw ngs forming and in which Fig. 1 is a perspective viewof a finished half cylindrical bearing sleeve having end flanges andmade in accordanc'ewith this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a flanged backing shell,showing it as it appears when first formed,theirregular1t1es or wavesbeing greatly exaggerated;

Fig. 3 is a develo ed section of theflange on the line 3-3 of. ig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a press, taken part of this specificationon the line 44 of. Fig. 5 and showing the press forming a flangedbearing;

Figs 5 is a fragmentary yer'tical section on the line-s of Fig.4; a

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section on the line 6--6 of 4;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a sleeve back without flanges as itappears when first formed up;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to-Fig. 7, showing the backing after havingbeen coated wit the bonding metal;

Fig. 9 is a similar view with the addition of the lining of bearingmetal;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of a press sim 1- lar to Fig. 4, showing thesleeve, as shown In Fig. 9, in place in the dies ready to be finished;and 1 Fi 11 is a similar 'view of the press showing t e sleeve at theend of the pressing operation. In said drawings, 1 indicates afinishedhalf cylindrical bearing sleeve. This consists of an outer relativelyharder backing shell 2, preferably made of steel or bronze, and an innerlining 3 of bearing'metal such as babbitt. The Babbitt metal is bondedto the backing by a coating 4 of tin between them, and the outer surfaceof the backing 2 is coated with the bonding metal as shown at 5. Itshould be understood that the thickness of the various parts is more orless exaggerated. This applies especially to the tin coat- As shown inthe drawings, the bearing sleeve has external end flanges 6 which, likethe body, are composite; that is, the steel shell 2 has end flanges 7'which form the backs or inner parts of the flanges 6, and the outersurfaces 8 of the comp eted flan es 6-are formed of the Babbitt metalsimi ar to the I structure of the body of the sleeve. For some purposes,the bearing sleeves are not provided with the flanges'6, and in Figs. 8and 9 the formation of such sleeves isillu'strated.

In the roduction of the sleeves, the backing '2 is rst formed up,preferably out of sheet metal, and in this process, usin the ordinaryforming-uppresses, these bac 'n are more or less irregular in shape;that is, they are not accurate as to size or shape. This irregularity isindicated b the more or less wavy outlines, as indicate at 2.

a molten bondlng metal such as tin and 1s thus e next step is to add theinner lining 3 of bearing metal, and this is preferably done inaccordance with my invention as described in my co-pending applicationfiled August 20, 1928, Serial No. 300,757, entitled Means and methodsfor -making bearing linings or' sleeves; that is, by casting the liningonto the inner surface of the .backing, the tin coat- -mg on said innersurface being effective to cause the bonding of the bearing metal linngto the backing. The backing 2 is still in ts condition as first formedup; that is, it is irregular as to shape and not accurate as todimensions.

The next step is to form and size the bearing sleeve. This isaccomplished in a pair of' which 'accuratel anai-rs ing and shaping theouter surface of the bearing sleeve, and the upper member 9, which isthe plunger, has a lower half cylindrical end 11 adapted to coo cratewith the die member 8 and shape an form the inner surface of the bearingshell.

Means, not shown, are provided to close the ends, of the openin 10 andto limit the closing of the dies toget er to accurately size the bearingsleeves.

The pressing operation, as illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11, requires atremendous pressure, and under the heavy pressure the backing 2 as wellas the lining 3 are elongated circumferentially, being actually forcedout or exuded from the die space as indicated at 12, Fig. 11.

This present invention is useful particularly in quantity production,and the allowable tolerance is very small, hence any change in the diesis fatal to the accuracv oi the r0- duction. As the relatively hard backis e ongated, as described, and as this elongation takes place undersuch heavy pressure,,the wear-particularly on the lower die 8-would bevery great and would soon destroy its usefulness if it'were not for theouter coating 5 of the tin. This coating, being of a relatively soft andmalleable metal, serves as a lubricant between the die surface and thebacking shell and permits the elongation of the backing shell withoutany appreciable wear on the die member 8.

The tin on the outer surface of the back removes the necessity for theelimination of all of the irre arities in the backing shell, as the tincoating provides an outer surfaceconforms to the forming surface of thedie member 8 and tends to fill up any slight depressions which mightremain.

The action in the press may be very well described as an ironing out ofthe wrinkles or I waves. This cannot be done by mere pres- The backingthus formed is next dipped in sure alone but needs the movement of the.metal of the backing between the die members at the time of theapplication of the forming presure.

The process above described applies also to the ironing out of thewrinkles waves or irregularities in the end flanges 7 oi the backingshell. These irregularities are indicated at 13, Figs. 2 and 3.

Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive, illustrate the ironing out process as appliedto the end flanges of the bearing sleeve. The sleeve is built up of aback and a lining as before, both of these extending into and formingthe end flanges 6. The dies for this purpose are similar'to the diesalreadydescribed, consisting of an upper member 14 and a lower member15, but are formed to provide circumferential cavities 16 at the ends ofthe dies in which the flanges 6 are sized. The upper die member 14 hasend extensions or flanges 17 which close down over the ends of the lowerdie member and close the cavities 16. It is obvious that upon theclosing of the die members together, the cavities 16 being substantiallyfilled with the rough formed flanges, the metal of the bearing shellwill be forced with great pressure into said cavities. The cavities areopen at their tops and the flanges are free to be forced up and out ofthe cavities, as indicated at 18, Fig. 4.. In other words, the flangesare elongated by the tremendous pressure to which they are sub jected.This pressure not only elongates the flanges circumferentially, thusironing out the wrinkles, but also compresses and compacts the Babbittmetal forming the outer surfaces of the flanges. As in the case of thebody portion, the tin coating on the backs of the flanges assists inthis process, permitting the movement of the flanges between the opposedsurfaces of the die members without undue friction or wear upon the diemembers.

It should be understood that the excess or the exuded portions 11 areremoved in some suitable manner, as by cutting, in order to completelyfinish the sleeve as shown in Flg. 1.

I claim: v

1. The herein described step in the pressure method of making asubstantially semicylindrical lined bearing sleeve comprising atough'strong supporting back such as steel and a bearing metal liningbonded thereto, and which consists in applying sufiicient pressure to aroughly formed hearing by means of dies having semi-cylindricalco-operating pressure surfaces to cause the metals of the.

sleeve to be thinned radially and elongated substantially. parallel tothe die surfaces, thereby causingthe waves or irregularitie's'in thebacking to be ironed out.

2. In the pressure method of sizing and finishing a bearing sleeve orshell which consists of a backing of relatively hard. -metal and alining of relatively soft bearing metal, the steps of providing abearing sleeve roughly formed to substantially semi-cylindrical shape,the blank comprising a relatively tough strong back and a bearing metallining bonded thereto, coating the outer surface of the back with arelatively soft metal such as tin, applying forming pressure to. therough sleeve between suitable die members. the pressure applied being.sufiicient to thin the back and elongate it circumferentially, the softmetal coating on the back allowing the sleeve to move more'readily onthe adjacent die member and serving to fill in any irregularities notsmoothed out by the applied pressure.

3. In the pressure method of sizing. ar :1 finishing a bi-metal bearingsleeve or shell having a backing of relatively tough strong metal, suchas steel, and which consists in coating a roughly formed back on itsouter elongating I surface with a relatively soft metal, placing theshell between die members and applying pressure suflicient to cause thebacking to be thinned radially and elongated circumferentially, wherebythe irregularities are, at least partly smoothed out, the coatingserving to reduce the friction betwcen'the backing and the die memberagainst which it is pressed, and to fill any irregularities not entirelysmoothed out and whereby the outer surface of the sleeve is accuratelyof the shape and size of the contacting die surface.

4. The herein described method of making a flanged composite bearingsleeve of the kind described, which consists in forming up a backingwith integral flanges at its ends out of a harder metal from a flatsheet, coating the backing with a bonding metal such as tin, applying abearing metal such as babbitt to the inner side of the main portion ofthe backing and the outer surfaces of the flanges, then sizing'and'finishing the sleeve by pressure applied between suitable die membersand causing the irregularities in the backing and flanges to be smoothedout by these parts circumferentially While pressed between the diemembers.

5. The herein described method of producing a flanged bearing-sleeveback out of sheet metal, which consists in roughly forming a flangedback out of sheet metal, in which con dition the flanges are more orless wrinkled, and subjecting the roughly formed back to pressureapplied by suitable dies substanti ally normal to the flanges suflicientto cause the circumferential elongation of the flanges and theflattening out of the Wrinkles;

6. The herein described steps in the pressure method of making compositebearing sleeves having end flanges, which consist in providing a backinghaving integral end flanges of relatively harder metal formed upingmetal on the backs of the flanges assist ing in this elongation.

.7 2 The herein described steps in the pressure method of making linedbearin sleeves which consist in providing a mu y reformed sleeve back ofrelatively har er metal, the back having irregularities, and a hmng ofbearing metal thereon, both thereof slight 1y thicker radially than inthe finished sleeve, applying suflicient pressure radially betweensuitable die members to cause both the back and the lining to be thinnedradiallyand substantially equally elongated substantially parallel withthe die surfaces while confined between the die members, and whereby theirregfilarities in the back are smoothed out.

In witness that I claim the foregoing as my invention; I afiix mysignature this 18th day of January, 1929.

BERGER 'STOGKFLETH. e

